Top construction



May '29, 1928. 1,671,808

J. H. BOURGON TOP CONSTRUCTION Filed 001;. 16, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l 82 g I W INVENTOR JOSEPH hf BOUEGO/V ATTORNEY 2,

May 29, 1928. 1,671,808

- J. H. BOURGON TOP CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 16, ,1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 90 94 INVENTOR (JOSEPH H. BOURGON ATTORNEY Patented May 29, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE.

JO SEP H H. BOUBGON, OF DETROIT, MICHIGANQASSIGNORTO THE STUDEBAKER COR PORATION, SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

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Application am October 16, 1924. Serial mjmpso.

This invention relates to automobile top constructions and particularly to tops for open types of automobiles provided with side enclosures movable vertically into the top when placing them in inoperative position, and is particularly applicable to open type tops provided with roller curtains, such as is described in my previous patent application on top constructions filed July 9, 1924; Serial Number 725,062, and certain features of which the present, application constitutes improvements. therein.

An object of the present inventionis to provide a flexible curtain housing shield or cover for a to of the class described.

Another object is to provide for a top of the class described. a flexible curtain housing shield provided with a stiffening member adjacent its loweredge.

Another object isto provide for a top of the class described, a curtainhousing shield of flexible material, the lower edge of the shield being positioned adjacent the lower edge of the top frame and being reinforced with a suitable stiffening member and the curtains being adapted to pass between said lower reinforced shield edge and the top frame lower edge which form a guide therefor at that point. p

A furtherobject is to provide in combination with a top for an open type automobile having curtains supported thereby and withdrawable vertically into operative position, a shield for concealing said curtains in said top, said shield being formed of flexible ma: terial such as fabric and being secured adjacent its upper edge to said top, its lower edge being providedwith a stiffening rod lying adjacent the loweredge of thetop frame and acting as a guide for said curtains when in operative or partly operative position.-

The abovebeing among the objects of the present invention, the same consists of men tain features of construction and combinations of parts to be hereinafter. described with reference to the accompanying drawings, and then claimed, havingthe above and other objects inview. j l H a a i r In the accompanying drawings which illustrate asuitable embodiment of thepresent invention HIldflIl which like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several differentviews, l j j r Figure 1 isa perspective view of the upper pertion of an automobile including a tap manner in which it guides the curtains sectional view through a portion of ,thetop showing the manner of construction.

Flgure 4 is a perspective sectional View of part ofwthetop showingthe manner of mounting the curtains therein "and the curtain ,housingshield.

Figure 5 is a sectional view, through one side of the top showing the manner of mountlngthe curtain housing shield and the at the lower edge of the top. a i f l 9 Figure ,6 is a perspective view of-the up,- per endof the right front top support illustratingthe manner of supporting the front end of the curtain housing shield stiffening rod thereby. l V j i a Figure 7 is a perspective view of the right rear top support illustrating the manner of supporting the rear end of the curtain hous- 1ng shield stiffening rod thereby. j a

Figure 8 is a plan view of the curtain housing shield stiflening rod, l i The, top shown in the accompanying drawings is substantially the same, except for the construction of the curtain housing shield and parts incidental thereto, as the top shown and described in my previouspab ent application, filed July 9, 1924, Serial No. 725,062. and the reference numerals, as far as possible. correspond to the reference nua the top and they extend from the front cross member 32wrearwardly to the rear quarter 31. conforming in shape to that part of the finished, top throughout. The rear quarter 81 mm upwardly and inwardly from the and a bracket such as 46 provided secured to the quarter 30 for receiving and to which the same may be secured. All that is necessary to gain access to the interior of the curtain housing if such is desired, is to remove the screw 93 and if the intermediate support 94 is employed, disengage the same from the bracket 46, and pull the rod 90 endwise off of the pin 91 which thereby allows the shield 45 to be swung back out of the way as illustrated in Figure 5 by dotted lines.

This shield construction has the advantage over the shield illustrated and described in my previous application referred to in that it is flexible and during weaving of the top does not tend to resist the strains set up thereby.

The construction is preferably such that the lower edges of the curtains are flush with the lower face of the tackingstrip 62 when the curtains are in rolled or raised position, and in order to facilitate grasping the same to pull them down into operative position, it is desirable to form bends such as 95 in the rod 90 at apoint adjacent the center of each curtain, which bends extend away from the tacking strip 62 andallow the entrance of a hand or fingers between the shield 45 and the tacking strip 62 for such purpose.

Formal changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention described without departing from the spirit and substance of the broad invention, the scope of which is commensurate with the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. In combination with a vehicle top hav ing continuous coved sheet metal side quarters, the lower edge of each of which is inwardly turned to form a horizontal flange supporting a wooden member, roller curtains supported within said quarters, a flexible shield concealing said curtains when in rolled position, and a stiffening member for the lower edge of said shield positioned A., this 10th day of October,

adjacent to but out of contact with the inner edge of said wooden member to form a guiding slot for said curtains, said stifiening member and shield bein movable out of adjacent relationship wit said top to permit access to said curtains.

2. In combination with a vehicle top having roller curtains supported within its quarters, a fabric shield concealing said curtains when in rolled position, and a stiffening member secured to said shield along its lower edge, said member being bent inwardly adjacent the center of each curtain to facilitate the grasping of said curtains.

3. In combination with a vehicle top provided with roller curtains supported in the quarters thereof, a flexible curtain concealing shield secured to each side of said top above said curtains and provided with rod receivin means adjacent its lower edge, a

rod wit in said means for stifiening said edge to provide a guide for said curtains,

means for sup orting said rod at its ends in adjacent re ationship to the lower ed e of said quarters, and means intermediate t e ends of said rod for steadying the same.

4. The combination with a vehicle top having side quarters, of a tacking strip secured adjacent the upper edgerof said quarters, a tacking strip secured along the lower edge of said quarters, roller curtains mounted within said top, a flexible shield for concealing said curtains when in rolled position. having one edge secured to said first-named tacking strip and having a loop formed at the opposite edge thereof, and a stiffening member for said flexible shield enclosed in said loop and secured to said top adjacent said second-named tacking strip to form a guide for said curtains when in unrolled or partly unrolled position.

Signed by me at Detroit, Michigan, U. S.

JOSEPH H. BOURGON. 

